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Abstract

For decades, voice practitioners have been working on freeing the voice and connecting voice to
body. It is a voice in ‘crisis’, both literally and figuratively. This article discusses the application of
existing Oriental and Occidental methods to discover an alternative to the multifaceted area of
the voice in performance pertaining to the notion of ‘crisis’. In this context, however, the
inspiration stemmed from Butoh dance, particularly looking at the practice and philosophies of
Tatsumi Hijikata. The non-conventional physical and vocal training practices of the Voice Theatre
Lab, a practice-led research performance group from Tasmania, Australia, incorporates Butoh
practice in training and performance in order to express the voice in ‘crisis’. Although this
explanation of ‘crisis’ is not directly linked to Hijikata’s cultural notion of ‘crisis’, its roots lie in
the artistic expression of change within society and culture. The result was a series of structured
training sessions and performances. Elements such as imagery and the expression of the
unconscious helps in abandoning literal realities which result in the expression of a ‘freer’ voice.
As a result, the Voice Theatre Lab developed a series of training and performance aesthetics that
went beyond the quotidian forms of physical and vocal expression.